Bustle



(ModeL) B. S. REED.

BUSTLE.

No. 344,860. Patented July 6, 1886.

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liisirnn STATES Parent Ost ich.

BEVERLY S. REED, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUSTLE.

TC ENE-101*? forming part of Letters Patent No. 34:4,860, dated July 6, 1886.

Application filed January 18, 1886. Serial No.188.898. (Modem To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BEVERLY S. REED, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Mas sachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bustles, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled 111 the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved bustle, and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view thereof. Likeletters of reference indicate correspondng parts in the different figures of the drawlugs.

My invention relates more especially to that class of bustles which are detachable and composed principally of springs and tapes, in contradistinction to those which form part of the garment, and are stuffed and padded; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a more desirable article of this character than is now in ordinary use. i

The nature of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the waistband, and B C l) the suspensory tapes. A triangular sheath, E, is attached to the under side of the waistband on either side thereof nearest its front or ends, the mouth of said sheaths opening rearward, as seen in Fig. 2. The upper ends of the tapes B O D are firmly secured to the waistband A, and suspended by said tapes and the sheaths E there are a series of horizontally-arranged elastic ribs, H, said ribs being secured to the tapes by suitable clasps, (not shown,) and their forward ends converging and being secured in said sheaths, as also best seen in Fig. 2. The lower rib H is longer than its companions, the superposed ribs being gradually shortened from the bottom to the top of the bustle, and

radiating from the sheaths E, as shown.

A vertically arranged outwardlycurved brace, f, as best shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, is placed beneath each of the tapes B O D,

the upper ends of said braces being properly secured to the top rib of the hustle, and their lower ends to the bottom rib of the same, or to the lower ends of said tapes in the immediate vicinity of the lower rib, the object of the braces being to keep the ribs properly distended.

Means for contracting the bustle are pro vided, consisting of the tape B and a stout tape, J which latter is secured to the rear portion of the waistband, and extends downwardly to the center of the lower rib H. The tape B has its lower end elongated and provided with a buckle, vi, through which the tape J passes, thereby enabling a strain to ,be

exerted on said stay, and assist in keeping the rear portion of the bustle in proper shape.

The braces f are sufficiently rigid to keep the ribs properly distended, and sufficiently elastic or flexible to yield when the bustle is submitted to pressure.

Two diagonallyarranged braces, K K, are disposed in the interior of the bustle, the lower ends of said braces being preferably secured to the lower rib H, and their upper ends to one of the upper ribs, as best shown in Fig. 1. These braces are located in front of and span the arch formed by the ribs, which constitute the body of the bustle, and correspond to chords to which said ribs are arcs. In this position they serve a double purpose as re enforcing stays and as a substitute for the or dinary diaphragm.

Thebraces K K are held together where they cross each other, near their centers, by a clasp, in, said clasp being so constructed and arranged as to permit one of the braces toslide or move longitudinally over the other.

A vertically-arranged rearwardly-projecting brace, N, is also disposed in the interior of the bustle, its upper end being secured at a to one of the upper ribs of the bustle, and its lower end preferably secured to the lower rib of the same.

The brace N crosses the braces K K at their point of intersection, and is secured thereto by a clasp c, said clasp being so constructed and arranged as to permit the braces K K to move longitudinally back and forth across the brace N when the bustle yields.

The braces N K K are sufficiently rigid t ,tended, and hence the use of the verticallyarranged brace N. Y

The braces N K K are disposed betwee the stay J and tape B, and the lower endsof said braces may be secured to either of the lower ribs H, or respectively to the tapes B O D, in the vicinity of said ribs.

The bodies of the braces f are secured to the tapes B O D by clasps, (not shown,) to keep them in proper position.

I am aware that in bustles of this character it is not new to employ the ribs H, waistband A, sheaths E, tapes B O D, braces f, or tape J, and do not therefore claim the same, broadly, or when in and of themselves considered; but,

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is 1. In a bustle, the waistband A, a-series of lateral ribs, H, and means for connecting the ends of said ribs at opposite sides of the bustle, in combination with two cross-braces, K, secured at their upper endsto one of the upper ribs, and at their lower ends to the lower rib, said braces spanning the arch formed by the ribs which constitute the body of the bustle, substantially as described.

2. In a bustle, the waistband A, a series of radial ribs, H, and means for connecting the ends of said ribs at opposite sides of the bustle, in combination with two cross-braces, K, secured at their upper ends to one of the upper ribs and at their lower ends to the lower rib, and an upright brace, N, also connected at its upper end to one of said upper ribs and at its lower end to said lower rib, said crossbraces spanning the arch formed by the ribs which constitute the body of the bustle, substantially as described.

3. In abustle, the waistband A, sheaths E, a series of lateral ribs, H, each end of which is secured within one of said sheaths, upright tapes B CD, and a brace or braces, f, beneath said tapes, in combination with two crossed braces, K, secured at their upper ends to one of the upper ribs, near one end of the latter, and at their lower ends to the lower rib op posite said tapes G and D, and an upright brace.N, also connected at its upper end to one of said upper ribs and at its lower end to said lower rib opposite said tape 13, said upright brace N being provided at the point of crossing of the braces K with a loosely-fitting clasp, 1), through which said braces K are adapted to slide freely lengthwise, substantially as described.

BEVERLY S. REED. Witnesses:

O. A. SHAW, L. J. WHITE. 

